Tending the Growth of Achievement Sport: High School Sport & Me

     From a very young age, the bar was set very high for Demetrius Walker. He had much to live up to, being compared to big time NBA names such as Tyson Chandler, at such a young age. Because of this, if Demetrius didn't meet the expectations, he would be deemed a failure. That would be a lot for any 12 year-old to handle. At 12 years old, I was also playing on a traveling basketball team, but it never got to the point where we were being followed or watched by analysts. It was just a bunch of kids playing basketball. But for Demetrius Walker, it was much more than just a game. Because basketball was such a big part of his life, he had to prove himself worthy.
     In high school, it was much of the same, but unlike he was as an eighth grader, he became less dominant. While he was in eighth grade, he was able to get the ball over everyone because he was so much taller than the other kids. He would play down in the post and look to work the block. But when he reached high school, he wasn't as tall as the other players, so instead of playing in the post, which is what he was most comfortable with, he was forced to play the wing, completely changing the way he was used to playing.
     From elementary school through high school, Demetrius Walker seemed to live his younger life constantly trying to prove himself; proving that he was ranked the best player in the country for a reason. His sport was put before anything else because he always had people talking about him and how he played his sport. Other people made basketball a priority for him. This model of sport can be very harmful to the typical high school athlete. I don't think that many high school athletes would be able to deal with the pressure that Demetrius has had to endure throughout his youth, and by putting basketball as a top priority before anything else, it doesn't help set him up for his future after basketball. In my high school years, basketball was always a second priority behind school. Basketball didn't mean anything unless I was doing well in school, and I think the focus should be more on helping these athletes set themselves up for their futures rather than having them try to live up to a certain expectation.
     Probably the greatest consequence that can come from prioritizing basketball over academics would be not setting yourself properly for your next step in life. Let's just say that Demetrius Walker ended up making it to the NBA, chances are he would only be able to play into his mid-late 30's, he would still have another 50-60+ years to try and do something else. So the strategy for high school athletes shouldn't be focused on trying to get these athletes to the next big stage in basketball, but more on setting them up for life after basketball.

References

Dohrmann, G. (2010). The Education of Demetrius Walker. Sports Illustrated. pp. 62-74.